MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia baseball team can party like it’s 1969.
That was the last time the Mountaineers began a season 4-0, which is where they were Saturday following a 5-4 victory against Lipscomb at Ken Dugan Field in Nashville, Tenn.
Michael Perazza’s sacrifice fly RBI in the seventh inning scored Sam White to break a 3-3 tie and the Mountaineers clinched it in the eighth inning when Brodie Kresser beat out a throw to the plate.
The last time the Mountaineers were undefeated through four games, the team was coached by Dale Ramsburg, the regular season was only 19 games and the team played as an independent.
Current WVU head coach Steve Sabins was still 18 years away from being born.
There’s still plenty of time before the Mountaineers need to worry about a historic start. WVU began the 1964 season 18-0.
WVU picked up 14 hits on the day, including two singles from Skylar King that pushed his batting average up to .667 on the season, but the Mountaineers were just 2 for 14 (.143) with runners in scoring position.
Perazza’s fly ball to center field scored White for a 4-3 lead.
In the eighth inning, Kresser led off with a double and was sacrificed to third on a bunt from King. Jace Rinehart hit a ground ball and the play came to the plate with Kresser scoring ahead of the throw for a 5-3 lead.
Lipscomb (2-2) added a run in the bottom of the inning off of a solo home run by Damion Kenealy Jr. and had the tying run at second base in the ninth inning, but WVU reliever Resse Bassiner got Keaton Mahan to fly out to end the game.
Bassinger picked up his third save of the season. He pitched two innings and gave up three hits with the only run he allowed being the home run.
Jack Kartsonas earned the win in relief. He pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowed three hits and no runs. WVU starter Griffin Kirn went four innings, but gave up three runs over five hits and three walks.
Kresser, White, Logan Sauve and Alex Marot all had two hits, as did King.
The two teams will continue the four-game series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday. The series concludes Monday, before the Mountaineers return home to host Ohio University at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
